N8n added native persistent storage with DataTables

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

DataTables & State Persistence

  • Many see DataTables as a crucial missing piece for n8n; “state” is needed in almost every non-trivial workflow.
  • Prior workarounds included storing JSON blobs in external storage or custom CRUD APIs, which users describe as hacky.
  • The new feature is welcomed especially for quick personal projects, but the hosted 50MB limit is seen as a sign that serious users will still need external DBs (Supabase, Airtable, etc.); self-hosting can bypass this.

Comparisons: n8n vs Alternatives

  • Node-RED is frequently recommended: more powerful, closer to a programming language, strong built‑in state model (global/flow/node scopes), good for IoT and high‑volume messaging.
  • Tradeoff: Node-RED is seen as harder for non‑technical users and lacks a clear “execution” concept and some observability features.
  • Other contenders mentioned: Windmill (rich entities but complex setup and security concerns around arbitrary package installs), ActivePieces (no “bait and switch” so far), Langflow (criticized UX), various Python‑based or agent‑centric systems, Tracecat (AGPL, SecOps focus), autokitteh (Python, fully open source).

Open Source, “Fair Source,” & Licensing Trust

  • Strong debate over whether n8n ever was truly open source: code has long been under a restrictive, source‑available license, despite earlier marketing implying “open.”
  • Broader argument over “fair source”:
    • Pro side: protects smaller vendors from hyperscalers reselling their work, lets users inspect/modify code while reserving SaaS competition rights, seen as more sustainable than pure FOSS for funded startups.
    • Critic side: not OSI‑approved, weak legal precedent, doesn’t guarantee long‑term survivability or forkability like GPL/AGPL; viewed as a marketing rebrand of proprietary licensing and a setup for future rug‑pulls.

Rug‑Pulls, VC, and Pricing Anxiety

  • Users reference MinIO and Taipy as examples of features/paywalls changing after adoption, with unaffordable “enterprise” pricing.
  • Fear that “the other licensing shoe will drop” for n8n: important capabilities moving behind a paid, complex, or enterprise‑style model.
  • Some now explicitly seek “true FOSS with no paywalled features” to avoid these dynamics, even if they are willing to pay reasonable, simple self‑host licenses.

AI Workflows, UX, and Scalability

  • n8n is perceived by several commenters as having become the default for “AI automation” due to many ready‑made connectors (especially OAuth setups).
  • Others find visual flows quickly degrade into spaghetti, with custom code and HTTP nodes everywhere; they question using such tools for serious systems versus writing Python/TypeScript directly.
  • Consensus that low‑code UX is great for quick automation and non‑developers, but skepticism remains about maintainability and scalability; some want tools that compile visual workflows into containerized, K8s‑native runtime artifacts.